STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - WESTERLEIGH - For more than a decade, Westerleigh residents Michelle Devlin and Debbie Masterpalo Brown have been involved with the girls' softball program in the Westerleigh Little Guys and Gals neighborhood little league for kids housed between the trees and one-family homes that surround the intersection of North and Neal Dow avenues.

They have a lot to be proud of as the league has grown in numbers and has continued to keep its neighborhood feel.

This past month, the loop's 16-and-under team, called the Westerleigh Westars, made a run through two Babe Ruth softball tournaments that made everyone proud.

The team captured the Metro New York State championship with three straight victories to advance to the Mid-Atlantic Regional in La Plata, Md., where after a 3-1 pool-play record, the Westerleigh club dropped a heart-breaking 8-6 semifinal decision to the Waretown Thunder in the last inning.

Not making it to the World Series in Wilson, N.C., was disappointing, but it hardly took the luster off the girls' accomplishments.

"This is a group of kids who don't play travel ball for one reason or another but want to play who came together for a really nice run," said Michelle Devlin, who coached the team along with her daughter Rebecca and John Curatolo, the St. John Villa Academy head coach.

It was actually Curtaolo, according to Michelle Devlin, who was instrumental in the league extending its program from the grammar-school level to high-school age girls.

"We had a group of girls, including John's daughter, who had been playing together 4-5 years and after they finished eighth-grade, John suggested we continue and let them stay together," said Michelle.

The loop roughly accommodates 45 high-school girls, broken into three teams, from which the "Westars" teams are formed. "The team is called Westars because all of our teams at Westerleigh begin with W's, and when the girls were 10, they wanted the team to start with a W, hence the name," Michelle explained.

Until this season, seven of the original girls were still together. That number was reduced to three – Mary Curatolo (St. John Villa), Jamilynn McGowan (Petrides) and Shawn Reilly (Curtis) – on this year's squad.

During the tournament MVP awards were given to players by the opposing coaches. Centerfielder Tatiana Perone (diving catch to end the game and preserve a one-run victory), catcher Ariana Trembone (two RBIs and for throwing out four runners trying to steal), Serena Zinsely (lone hit in the team's pool-play loss), Ms. Curatolo (defense and a 5-for-5 day at the plate) and Ms.McGowan in the semifinal loss.

After opening ceremonies, John Curatolo won the coaches home-run derby, and Ms. Reilly won for the girls. ------

The loop's 12-and-under team, coached by Brian Forsyth and Lesa Bell, fought its way out of the losers' bracket to capture the Metro New York Tournament before losing three straight games in its regional.